a. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates to a system and method for generating and/or repairing a surface model of a geometric structure. More particularly, this disclosure relates to a computer-implemented system and method for generating and/or repairing a surface model of an anatomic structure, such as, for example, the heart or a particular portion thereof, using location data points.
b. Background Art
It is known that various computer-implemented systems and methodologies can be used to generate surface models of geometric structures, such as, for example, anatomic structures. More specifically, a variety of systems and methods have been used to generate surface models of the heart and/or particular portions thereof.
One conventional methodology or technique involves the use of one of a number of known alpha shape algorithms to compute an alpha shell based on a plurality of location data points corresponding to respective locations on the surface of the geometric structure. More particularly, but in general terms, a plurality of location data points are collected from the surface of the geometric structure to form a point cloud. An alpha shape algorithm is then applied to the point cloud to compute an alpha shell of the point cloud, which results in the generation of a surface model of the geometric structure. Such a technique results in a mesh surface model of the geometric structure comprising a plurality of triangularly-shaped facets, each of which is defined, in part, by three location data points that serve as the vertices of one or more facets.
While surface models generated using the alpha shape technique have proved useful and desirable in applications such as, for example, electrophysiological mapping, the technique is not without its disadvantages. For example, a surface model generated using the alpha shape technique is considered to be closed and “manifold” if each edge of the alpha shell is shared by exactly two facets and each vertex (i.e., location data point) is shared by facets that make a single ordered loop around that vertex. However, in certain instances, alpha shells tend to have defects such as, for example, missing facets, non-manifold vertices, and holes that cannot be filled in a way that renders the final alpha shell, and therefore, surface model, manifold. Thus, while the alpha shape technique provides advantages over other conventional surface model generating techniques/methodologies, and generally produces surface models that have a relatively high degree of detail, they do not always provide surface models having a desirable level of completeness or accuracy.
Accordingly, the inventors herein have recognized a need for a system and method for generating and/or repairing surface models of geometric structures that will minimize and/or eliminate one or more of the deficiencies in conventional systems.